In The Frame March ’14

Published: 15.03.2014 Industry news

The Guardian reports that Sky is to launch a film download service to take on Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Blinkbox with a digital shop delivering directly to TVs with instant access. The new service, called Buy and Keep, will launch in the coming weeks, become part of BSkyB’s existing pay-per-view film rental service, Sky Store and be aimed at families with Sky subscriptions who previously purchased DVDs but find it increasingly convenient to purchase films electronically.

Netflix, meanwhile, has launched a new original series for international territories, according to RapidTVNews.com. From Dusk Till Dawn is exclusively for its subscribers in Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands, Nordic countries, UK and Latin America and follows the company’s success with House of Cards.

Another piece of news from the US sees YouTube bolster its efforts to attract more of television’s traditional advertising spend, according to the Wall Street Journal. A number of concessions are apparently being offered by Google – YouTube’s owner – to advertisers who make advance commitments, such as audience guarantees. “YouTube will guarantee to air ads across its channels until they reach a certain percentage of the target audience that the marketer is trying to reach,” it says.

London News

Back in Blighty, London Live – the capital’s first dedicated TV channel – takes to the air today (March 31^st 2014). Backed by Evgeny Lebede, the Russian-born owner of both the Evening Standard and Independent newspapers, the channel “aims to rival major broadcasters’ coverage of [the] capital”, the Guardian tells us. Featuring programmes such as Not The One Show – an “irreverent, inquisitive and unpredictable view of the day” – and 14 to 1, which focuses on all 14 of London’s football clubs, London Live is available on Freeview channel 8, Sky 117, Virgin 159 and YouView 8.

Also in the capital, the Olympic Park’s main press centre and international broadcast centre are to undergo a transformation as part of a £150 million deal to convert the facilities into “a new east London hub for creative and digital businesses”, as reported by standard.co.uk. BT broadcasts its sports channels from the Olympic Park after moving in in 2013.

BBC News

The television licence fee debate rumbles on, the latest instalment involving news that “MPs back changes to TV licence fee law…a committee of MPs has voted to give the Government the power to decriminalise the non-payment of TV licence fee,” as reported by ITV.com. The MPs voted in favour of an amendment to the Deregulation Bill that could give ministers the power to make non-payment a civil offence rather than a criminal one. The BBC said that the move could cost them as much as £200m a year.

Following last month In The Frame… in which we discussed the news that BBC3 and BBC4 were under threat of closure, as we all now know it was BBC3 that will move from traditional transmission to become an online-only channel, accessible only via the iPlayer, as reported here by the Beeb themselves earlier this month.

Tech News

Speaking of the iPlayer, the application is to feature on the new Google Chromecast (a 2.83-inch/72 mm HDMI dongle, or streaming adapter, which plays audio and video content on an HD TV by streaming via wi-fi), according to dtg.org.uk.

Also this month, Panasonic have announced a “smart TV partnership with Freesat”(also reported on dtg.org.uk). “The landmark deal,” they say, “will see Freesat’s ‘Freetime’ catch-up TV service available in all new Panasonic VIERA smart TVs—whether homes receive their TV via satellite or through an aerial (DTT).” Freesat is the UK’s free-to-air satellite platform and is currently received in 1.8 million homes. Which?, very helpfully, tells us the three main features to look out for.